(Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
Cleveland Guardians pitcher Noah Syndergaard returned from Tommy John surgery in 2021.
Unfortunately, his high-end velocity never returned.
He went from a pitcher who sat in the 97-98 mph range to one who struggles to hit 94, and that evidently affects his performance.
After a decent 2022 with the Los Angeles Angels and the Philadelphia Phillies, he joined the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2023 but was traded to the Guardians after posting a 7.16 ERA in LA.
His brief time with the Guardians hasn’t been much better, as he has a 5.06 ERA in four outings and 21.1 frames.
He has alternated good with bad starts with the Guards, with a bad one coming on Wednesday.
In that game, against the Cincinnati Reds, he allowed six runs (five earned) in 4.1 innings, with eight hits, two walks, and three strikeouts.
After the game, via Bally Sports Cleveland, he explained that he had some issues gripping the ball, which led to his changeup and slider being affected.
However, he said words that carry some deep meaning and show how hard he is struggling from the mental side, too: he is not having fun out there right now.
After a shaky start in Cincinnati, Guardians right-hander Noah Syndergaard opened up on how much he loves baseball and how it’s been difficult to not be his usual self on the mound. pic.twitter.com/vAOfRTNfdt
— Bally Sports Cleveland (@BallySportsCLE) August 17, 2023
He was visibly affected by his poor performance, and it’s hard not to feel bad about the guy.
After all, he was one of the best pitchers in baseball from 2015 to 2019, back when he was with the New York Mets.
He clearly wants to help his team and put up good numbers, but MLB is often unforgiving with pitchers who lose their stuff after surgery.
Hopefully, he can right the ship eventually, but it’s not looking good at the moment.
The post Noah Syndergaard Gets Candid On His Recent Struggles appeared first on The Cold Wire.